The title for this post stemmed from a conversation overheard in a group of supposedly forward thinking individuals who were discussing their business plans.  When success stories of contacts made and leads gained were used as examples of social media success these were dismissed as being irrelevant as there was no cash being made.

This created a question to the “social media sucks” brigade;

What avenues were you using?

This elicited the right answer. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and blogging. Well so far, so good.  But then the next question identified where the problem was;

How long have you been doing it for?

We stopped after a few weeks, we weren’t making any headway.

And therein lies the issue. It amazed me that business people were still thinking that they are going to elicit an immediate response to their social media campaigning and that they will start making money straight away.

Those of us who are actively engaged in social media as part of our marketing strategies know this. We know how much time and effort it takes to generate meaningful contacts which, in turn, will generate revenues – either directly from the contacts we make or 2nd/3rd hand from our contacts links.

I understand the frustration felt by small business owners. They are trying to do a million things at once and if something does not seem to be having an immediate effect, it tends to get dropped in favour of things that give an immediate satisfaction or benefit to the business. However, social media cannot be ignored and the time it takes is well spent.

A contact I know has made over Stg100K directly as a result of blogging and using Twitter.  80% of the sign-ups for our beta testing have come from social media connections (including this site – so thanks for that!).  These are tangible results for the success of social media. These examples alone show the benefits of a social media marketing strategy.

Social media marketing requires a strategy, it’s no good doing it “willy-nilly”, and time. The former can be created with a bit of research, the latter just needs to be planned into the working day. Blogs can be created in advance. There are ways out there to be used to help you post automatically on Twitter (though make sure to interact as well), along with a host of other tools.

There is no excuse or reason for not engaging with social media in your business. It is too powerful an opportunity to ignore. But no, you won’t see a result in two weeks! (unless you are very lucky!).

Any helpful hints on engaging with social media for the unconverted?

With 2010 fast approaching a recent survey of 2000 marketers by the Center for Media Research looked at the most popular mediums used. It found that while email is still the most popular, social networks look set to soon overtake it.

• Email (56.8%)

• Social networks (56.3%)

• Keyword search (49.7%)

• Radio (42.2%)

• Magazines (42.1%)

• Online display (40.5%)

• Event sponsorship (36.9%)

• Rich media display (35.5%)

• Direct mail (34.7%)

• Regional TV (32.8%)

• Regional newspapers (31.7%)

• Out-of-home (31.2%)

• Email sponsorship (29.5%)

• Online video (26.7%)

• Mobile SMS text (26.1%)

• National TV (18.2%)

• National newspapers (14.8%)

After giving social media the initial cold shoulder, things have now started to thaw a little with more marketers than ever realizing how truly beneficial it can be. Businesses are abandoning traditional marketing platforms in favor of creating their own original content that can be distributed online. This is due to the realization that people are blind to promotional items such as banner ads and are more interested in the ‘interactive web’. The ability to use new media channels to reach audiences directly with branded content and to measure the value of their response and interaction is a much more effective way of operating.

Social media marketing is not difficult at all. It is something everyone can do with some effort and knowledge. It isn’t some secret art form that only experts can master. Unlike other skills, social media has a remarkably low barrier of entry. Everyone is invited to the party.

One of the major issues raised about social media marketing is the lack of ROI. This is due to the fact that while many companies are engaging, most are not utilizing it correctly. Marketers need to make much better use of the technology at hand in order to mature their online capabilities and take best advantage of the cost efficiencies and direct customer relationships that online networks allow. They need to realize that the ‘old’ offline rules no longer apply. People don’t like to be marketed at; they prefer to be engaged with.

To be successful with a campaign you need a strategy! You need to familiarize yourself with the area by researching the do’s and don’ts associated to online marketing and follow them. Try to have a centralized approach where you set out exactly what areas you want to branch into and what exactly you want in return. Without having specific goals you’re never going to reach your target.

Are you engaging with social media marketing? Are you optimistic for 2010?